How Much Iodine Is Save To Take?

That old data about the amount of iodine intake by the Japanese is not completely true (13.8 mg daily).

Even if the Japanese eat their whole meal just from seaweeds and seafoods everyday, they still not getting that high amount of iodine. So listen to The American Thyroid Association (ATA) about their Warning and their recommendation about iodine supplement, and noted that ingesting more than 1,100 mcg of iodine per day (the tolerable upper limit) may cause thyroid dysfunction. So my advice is be moderate and be save, because you cannot repair the damage after it happen.

REMEMBER, every vitamins, minerals and drugs have their own bad side effects if we take them in high amount. So you might not receive any benefits if you take iodine supplements in high amount. I also see many patients sharing their horror story on the web about their health getting worse after taking high amount of iodine, in some cases the damage had been done is irresistible and cannot be cure. So please be careful and be moderate in everything you take inside your body.

You only need high amount of iodine only in this situation:

1. You might only need high dose iodine supplements in the event of a nuclear disaster.

2. You might need high dose iodine when suffer from cancer because iodine supplements can help fight cancer.

– NOTE, you only take this high amount of iodine for short term only to avoid from the long term side affects.

How much iodine do I need?

The amount of iodine you need each day depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts are listed below in micrograms (mcg). Below Is The Daily Recommendation Intake For Iodine:

Life Stage

Recommended Amount

Birth to 6 months

110 mcg

Infants 7–12 months

130 mcg

Children 1–8 years

90 mcg

Children 9–13 years

120 mcg

Teens 14–18 years

150 mcg

Adults

150 mcg

Pregnant teens and women

220 mcg

Breastfeeding teens and women

290 mcg

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Safe Upper Limits For Iodine:

The safe upper limits for iodine are listed below. These levels do not apply to people who are taking iodine for medical reasons under the care of a doctor.

Life Stage

Upper Safe Limit

Birth to 12 months:

Not established

Children 1–3 years:

200 mcg

Children 4–8 years:

300 mcg

Children 9–13 years:

600 mcg

Teens 14–18 years:

900 mcg

Adults:

1,100 mcg

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What happens if I don’t get enough iodine?

Iodine deficiency is uncommon in the United States and Canada. People who don’t get enough iodine cannot make sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone. This can cause many problems. In pregnant women, severe iodine deficiency can permanently harm the fetus by causing stunted growth, mental retardation, and delayed sexual development. Less severe iodine deficiency can cause lower-than-average IQ in infants and children and decrease adults’ ability to work and think clearly. Goiter, an enlarged thyroid gland, is often the first visible sign of iodine deficiency.

What are some effects of iodine on health?

Scientists are studying iodine to understand how it affects health. Here are some examples of what this research has shown.

Fetal and infant development

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding need to get enough iodine for their babies to grow and develop properly. Breastfed infants get iodine from breast milk. However, the iodine content of breast milk depends on how much iodine the mother gets.

To make adequate amounts of iodine available for proper fetal and infant development, several national and international groups recommend that pregnant and breastfeeding women and infants take iodine supplements. In the United States and Canada, the American Thyroid Association recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women take prenatal vitamin/mineral supplements containing iodine (150 mcg/day). However, only about half the prenatal multivitamins sold in the United States contain iodine.

Cognitive function during childhoodSevere iodine deficiency during childhood has harmful effects on the development of the brain and nervous system. The effects of mild iodine deficiency during childhood are more difficult to measure, but mild iodine deficiency might cause subtle problems with neurological development.

Giving iodine supplements to children with mild iodine deficiency improves their reasoning abilities and overall cognitive function. In children living in iodine-deficient areas, iodine supplements seem to improve both physical and mental development. More study is needed to fully understand the effects of mild iodine deficiency and of iodine supplements on cognitive function.

Fibrocystic breast diseaseAlthough not harmful, fibrocystic breast disease causes lumpy, painful breasts. It mainly affects women of reproductive age but can also occur during menopause. Very high doses of iodine supplements might reduce the pain and other symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease, but more study is necessary to confirm this. Check with your health care provider before taking iodine for this condition, especially because iodine can be unsafe at high doses.

Radiation-induced thyroid cancerNuclear accidents can release radioactive iodine into the environment, increasing the risk of thyroid cancer in people who are exposed to the radioactive iodine, especially children. People with iodine deficiency who are exposed to radioactive iodine are especially at risk of developing thyroid cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved potassium iodide as a thyroid-blocking agent to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in radiation emergencies.

Can iodine be harmful?

Yes, if you get too much. Getting high levels of iodine can cause some of the same symptoms as iodine deficiency, including goiter (an enlarged thyroid gland). High iodine intakes can also cause thyroid gland inflammation and thyroid cancer. Getting a very large dose of iodine (several grams, for example) can cause burning of the mouth, throat, and stomach; fever; stomach pain; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; weak pulse; and coma.